• TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              I wonder if they preface it with “This is not legal advice” amongst the front matter if the ones selling it would even get in trouble. Or if they could float by on the “no reasonable person would think this is real, it’s only a game we play like D&D” if they were ever caught up in something.

              And it’s such small potatoes compared to the provable lies the big grifters tell to sell shit. I’m sure there are people infiltrating but unless they’re blatantly planning to blow up a building or kill folks I doubt any three letter agency cares about a few grand as long as the IRS gets their cut.

      • TexasDrunk@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I have a group of people at my house tonight that I’ve been sharing this particular story with. A question came up after my last reply and I wanted to get your take on it because you lurk out there.

        It’s about the people selling $350 books or $2000 worth of advice. Why is it when none of this works these people aren’t sued the shit out of? Or why doesn’t one of the three letter agencies step in and prosecute the people selling this? I think it’s because it’s small potatoes on the scam scale or because the material is structured in a way that isn’t necessarily illegal (like selling someone a rock that works as a tiger repellant). One of my guests believes it’s because the people paying for it wouldn’t sue the folks giving out advice either due to distrust of the government, belief that the people selling it are legally magic, or some combination of the two so there are no real legal complaints against the scammers.

        What’s your take?

        • essell@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          My impression of the people involved is that they would agree with the scam artists advice and believe in it completely.

          As you suggest, when it inevitably doesn’t help they’ll spin that as a judge or lawyer or is ignorant of the truth, corrupt or incompetent.

          People will do almost anything to avoid admitting they’ve been lying to themselves.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Many of them just don’t want to admit they were scammed. You have to admit you were scammed to report it.

        • BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.worldOPM
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          6 months ago

          I only ever saw one complain that he had been duped after paying for some courses of lunacy. He ended up 20K in debt and evicted. I think he was just embarrassed and didn’t bother suing.

          Also they call lawyers liers and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t hire one to sue someone.